Knitting-machine head



Oct. 16, 1923. 1,470,678

H. T. BALLARD KNITTING MACHINE HEAp Original Filed March 26. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 16, 1923.

H. T. BALLARD KNITLING MACHINE HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 26, 1921 172 7/38]? tor:

ierenf 77 13a llcuyzl, %M%- Patented Get. 16, 1923.

saves rarer Fri tram KNITTING-MIACHINE HEAD.

Original application filed March 26, 1921, Serial No. 455,924.. Divided and this application filed February 11, 1922. "Serial No. 535,912. i i

invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Knitting-Machine Heads, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is designed to produce small diameter tubular knitted fabric for flat form, and it concerns the features and combination and arrangement of parts here inafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims. 1

J In the drawing is shown in Figure 1 a central vertical sectional view of a knitting head embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view.

- In these drawings, 1 indicates the needle cylinder which is of small diameter and is grooved, as in ordinary practice, to guide the needles 2. This cylinder has a long screw-threaded tubular shank 3 which is screw-threaded into the boss 4' of the frame I to be engaged by a nut 5 of elongated form, which nut is hollow, so that the tubular fabric may be passed down through the same. a flange 6 on the lower end of the nut enabling it to be turned by a suitable instru ment inserted in the pockets 7 so that the cylinder may be clamped to the frame of the head in fixedrelation thereto.

The cylinder is provided at its upper end with a sinker ring 8 resting upon a shoulder 9. the said sinker ring having projections, the spaces between which form continuations of the guide grooves of the cylinder. The needles are operated by cams composed of an upper section 10 and a lower section 11, the former being carried by a ring 12 mounted upon posts 13 which are secured to the revolving head 14.- of the machine. This head rotates on the shoulder 4c" of the fixed frame. The lower section is held by screws 15 passing through a flange or cylinder 16 forming a part of the head 14. The butts of the needles enter the space or camway 17 left between the upper and lower members 11 and 12 of the cam.

In order to adjust the length of the stitch the nut 5 is loosened, the cylinder is turned so that its screw-threaded shank will raise or lower in relation to the fixed frame and use, for instance, as tape when pressed into the proper adjustment having been reached,

the cylinder will be fixed in position by. turning the nut 5 against the under side of the'head 4:, to thus clamp the shank of the cylinder rigidly in place. i The head 1 1 is driven by a gear 18 meshing with a circular rack 19 on the under side of the head.

The two cam members 11 and 12 are each formed in one piece and despite the fact, that the cylinder is of small diameter and the cams f a correspondingly small diameter, two feeds may be employed in connection with the cylinder because of the onepiece construction of the cam members and because of the fact that no adjusting devices for separate cam pieces are necessary or are employed.

The yarn guides, two in number, are shown at a, 5, arranged at diametrically opposite points and these are carried by the ring 12 so as to revolve around the cylinder.

The needle cams are formed at an angle of 4 of the head and projects below the same Being formed in one piece and not requiring any adjustment to change the stitch length, they can be made to occupy little space and two feeds can be used.

Theupper cam ring sectionlO is monnted'ln the ring 12 and is held by set screws shown in the plan View, Fig. 2.

What I claimis:

1. In combination, needles, a needle cylinder having an exteriorly screw-threaded hollow shank. a frame supporting the cylinder, and having an opening, the wall of which is screw threaded interiorly, and through which the shank extends with its screw threads engaging the screw threads of said opening to afford vertical adjustment of said cylinder by turning it. and. a lock nut bearing upwardly against the under side of the frame encircling the shank and engaging the screw threads thereof. and bearing against the under side of the frame to lock the cylinder in position said encircling lock nut being hollow for the passage f the fabric therethrough, and a cam for operating the needles, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a circular knitting machine a frame having an upwardly extending hollow boss screw threaded on its interior, said boss providing an exterior shoulder. a rotary plate resting on the shoulder and having a, depending circular rack out beyond said shoulder, needle cam means carried by the plate, a needle cylinder having a hollow shank screw threaded exteriorly and with its threads engaging those of the hollow boss, and a jam nut encircling the lower screw threaded end of the shank and bearing on the under side of said boss, said jam nut encircling the shank and being hollow for the passage of the fabric, sub stantially as described,

3. In combination in a circular knitting machine, a frame having; a boss extending up therefrom and threaded on its interior, a needle cylinder having a hollow screw threaded shank adjustable vertically in the screw threads of the boss for varying the stitch, a plate rotatable about the boss, and having an upwardly extending flange, a lower needle cam member carried remov ably on the inner side of said flange of the plate, posts extending up from the plate, a ring supported on the posts, an upper cam member secured to and depending from the inner side of the ring, and a nut engaging the screw threaded shank and clamping the same to the frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

HERBERT THEODORE BALLARD. 

